'I won't stand for mediocrity', fumes 'angry' Wigan Athletic boss

Latics' disappointing start to the season continued at the Brick Community Stadium, as a goal in either half from Harvey Macadam and Lee Angol - Morecambe's first two goals of the campaign, in their sixth match - proved decisive.

The home side had only Joe Hugill's second-half penalty - which temporarily levelled the scores - to show for their efforts.

And their four goals to date - two penalties, an own goal, and Thelo Aasgaard's fluke strike at Birmingham last weekend - tells only part of the story.

Maloney acknowledged his side didn't show enough respect to Morecambe on the night, with both goals coming in the 'avoidable' category.

And the Latics boss expanded on his unease at the constant up and down nature of performances - and his determination to prevent 'mediocrity seeping into our club'.

"Moments like this always give me more clarity on where we are," he said. "So we had a brilliant performance at Birmingham, where we're very close to winning the game against a top team.

"But in these sorts of moments, I always think the real culture of a club or a team seeps through.

"Look, we're having to bring players through our Academy, and it's a fine line between giving them that opportunity, and not allowing them to feel comfortable that they've made it into the first-team environment.

"Where actually, when it comes to games like this...Morecambe have 11 senior players, fighting and scrapping for a win bonus, to play in the next game, to progress in a cup.

"I haven't got that balance right...the performance shows you I haven't got that balance right, I haven't got that culture right.

"Tonight was absolutely nothing to do with tactics...we can have 80 per cent possession, playing 1,000 passes, playing like Roberto's teams...it was all about the mentality and the culture of the team...it was miles off it…

"The foundation of winning games, and being a really good team, just wasn't there. But that's on me, the performance of the club is on me, the culture of the club is on me, that's not on the players...nights like this hurt, but it makes me more angry at myself than the players.

"I'll always look within first...nights like this always make me think 'bigger picture' rather than any individual performance."

Maloney's cause wasn't helped by having six players away on international duty, another half dozen out injured, and new signing Jensen Weir cup-tied.

However, he believes the seeds for the below-par start were sewn much earlier in the campaign.

"Looking at the season as a whole, I think there's 11-12 players who didn't do pre-season with us," he added. "I think that tells you that whatever plans we had for pre-season, and the start of the season, and trying to be as stable as possible...it just hadn't happened.

"And I think nights like tonight show we've still got a lot of work to do...I've got a lot of work to do...in terms of the culture of the club.

"I just need to be very careful that mediocrity is not seeping into our club, where people are comfortable and think we're doing okay, when we're not."